Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Jian Wuhen clenched his fist in his sleeve, then slowly relaxed it, letting out a snort from his nose as a sign of tacit approval.

After the three matters were discussed, it seemed that there were compromises on all sides. However, it was clear to everyone that the alliance's will, led by the Qingyun Sect, was gradually and firmly infiltrating and being implemented.

The obstruction from the Lieyang Sect and the Tianjian Sect is like a reef trying to block a flood; it may stir up a few waves, but it cannot change the direction of the river's flow.

After the meeting, everyone left with their own thoughts.

Huoyun Daoist and Jian Wuhen walked out of the council hall side by side, their faces so gloomy they could drip water.

"Shen Mo is as cunning as a devil!" Daoist Huoyun transmitted his voice, his tone filled with resentment. "He always uses retreat as a tactic, leaving us with no way to vent our anger!"

Jian Wuhen's gaze was icy: "He's using his power to intimidate us. The alliance is formed, and those opportunists have already sided with him. If we openly oppose it, we'll be making enemies of all the vested interests. But if we keep backing down... Hmph!"

"We can't let him continue to erode our territory like this!" A fierce glint flashed in Huoyun Daoist's eyes. "We need to cause him some trouble, so he won't have time to worry about anything else! I heard that things haven't been peaceful in the 'Black Fiend Abyss' in the north lately? Also, those barbarians in the Southern Wilderness seem to be getting restless too?"

Jian Wuhen paused slightly, a cold smile curving his lips: "Fellow Daoist Huoyun is absolutely right. Alliance affairs are busy, and Alliance Leader Shen is extremely busy. Some 'accidents' are inevitable."

The two exchanged a glance, said nothing more, and transformed into streaks of light, each departing separately.

Inside the Flowing Cloud Palace, Shen Mo stood by the window, gazing in the direction where the two had disappeared.

Han Lin stood behind him, looking worried: "Sect Leader, although they didn't succeed today, their hypocrisy is obvious. If this continues, it may lead to disaster."

Su Xiao also whispered, "The Shadow Guards reported that the Lieyang Sect and Tianjian Sect have been frequently moving their troops along the border recently, and their contact with the Northern Desert and Southern Wilderness has also increased."

Shen Mo's gaze was deep and his voice calm and unwavering: "They will not sit idly by and watch the alliance grow stronger, much less willingly relinquish their power. Today's obstruction is merely the prelude. Clowns always have to take the stage to perform before they know where the audience's hearts lie."

He turned to Han Lin and Su Xiao: "Regarding the matter of weights and measures, we don't need to wait for their reply. In the name of the alliance, we will produce standard instruments and distribute them free of charge to all sects and markets that are willing to use them. Contribution point settlements will be strictly implemented from within the alliance's internal missions and resource allocation."

"As for the detailed bidding rules for resource points, we should finalize and publish them as soon as possible. If they try to delay, we will do it. If we do it well, the people will naturally come to our side. At that time, the tide will be in our hands, and they will have no choice but to follow."

"As for trouble..." A cold glint flashed in Shen Mo's eyes, "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. Junior Sister Xiao, send more people to keep a close eye on the Northern Desert, the Southern Wilderness, and... the Xuan Yin Sect."

"As for Junior Brother Tie, intensify the border outposts and battle drills by three points. I want this alliance to be like an iron barrel, leaving them nowhere to attack!"

"Yes!" Han Lin and Su Xiao solemnly accepted the order.

The heated debates and open contests in the council chamber have temporarily come to an end.

But just as Shen Mo had expected, the roots of the two old trees, the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect, which had been entrenched in the Southern Region for many years, were much deeper and their branches more tangled than he had imagined.

Only a few lamps were lit inside the hall, casting a soft glow. Shen Mo was not at his desk processing documents as usual, but instead stood with his hands behind his back in front of the huge map of the southern region, his gaze calmly sweeping over the dense markings on it.

With Qingyun Mountain at the center, lines and points of light radiate outwards representing spheres of influence, trade routes, resource points, and outposts, and the outline of the alliance is beginning to take shape.

However, at the edge of the map, the crimson flame mark of the Blazing Sun Sect and the silver sword-shaped mark of the Heavenly Sword Sect still stand out conspicuously, like two malignant tumors lurking on the northern and southern wings of the alliance territory.

The palace doors slid open silently, and Su Xiao's figure drifted in like a wisp of smoke, bringing with it the cool air of the night. (A new work by Mayday is coming, updated first across the entire internet!)

She was still dressed in a dark, practical outfit, her hair was pulled up high, and her face was aloof, except for her eyes, which appeared particularly sharp in the dim light.

"Sect Leader, there's news." Su Xiao's voice was soft, but every word was clear.

Shen Mo didn't turn around, but simply gave a soft "hmm" to signal her to continue.

"Three days ago, Huoyun Daoren, the law enforcement elder of the Lieyang Sect, secretly left Chiyang Peak under the pretext of 'inspecting the border mines.' He did not go to the 'red iron mine area' that was claimed, but instead changed course and went north, entering the 'Black Wind Ridge' territory."

Su Xiao spoke calmly, as if recounting something unrelated to himself, "Deep within Black Wind Ridge lies an abandoned 'Mysterious Yin Cave,' once a long-abandoned stronghold of the Mysterious Yin Sect. One of our informants there reported that on that day, a faint array fluctuation within the cave isolated the inside from the outside, lasting for about two hours. Afterward, Daoist Huoyun quietly departed."

"The Xuan Yin Cave?" Shen Mo raised an eyebrow slightly. "The territory of the Xuan Yin Sect... Does Ghost Hand know about it?"

"The hidden stakes' cultivation was limited, so they dared not get too close and could not confirm whether there were any Xuan Yin Sect members inside the cave. However, judging from the traces of residual spiritual energy, there were at least three Golden Core stage cultivators inside the cave at the time, and their spiritual energy attributes were mixed and not from the same source."

"Jian Wuying..." Shen Mo slowly repeated the name. Jian Wuji's younger brother, the vice sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect, a man of extraordinary status and elusive movements, known for his meticulousness and ruthless methods, who usually remained behind the scenes and rarely appeared in public. His personal involvement was definitely not a trivial matter.

"What they talked about is unknown."

Su Xiao continued, "But since that day, the frequency of internal transfers among the three factions under the Heavenly Sword Sect—the Gale Sword Sect, the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, and the Broken Mountain Sect—has increased significantly."

"The leader of the Gale Sword Sect, 'Feng Butong,' disappeared three days ago under the pretext of 'seclusion,' but his trusted disciples were seen on the outskirts of Black Wind Ridge."

"In addition, the 'Flame Valley' and 'Earth Fire Gate' affiliated with the Blazing Sun Sect have recently had several 'normal' material transactions with the small sects of the Heavenly Sword Sect. However, the transaction volume far exceeds that of the past, and the delivery locations... are all in the ambiguous areas where the three forces meet."

After Su Xiao finished speaking, she stood quietly to the side, awaiting Shen Mo's instructions. The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional soft crackling of the lamp wicks.

Shen Mo's gaze slowly moved across the map, from the locations marked with the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect, to the few smaller sects that had shown unusual activity, and finally landed on the "Black Wind Ridge" area, a complex terrain where the three sides met.

The area was designated as a "no man's land" and has historically been a breeding ground for friction and secret deals.

"Standing together through thick and thin..." Shen Mo muttered to himself, a cold smile curving his lips. "Old Daoist Huoyun and Sword Shadowless, one hot-tempered, the other cunning and patient, actually managed to sit together..."

"It seems that with our Wuji Sword Master in seclusion and Elder Wuhen suffering repeated setbacks on the front lines, some people are getting restless and want to find another way out, or... make arrangements in advance."

He turned around and looked at Su Xiao: "Junior Sister Xiao, what do you think?"

Su Xiao pondered for a moment and said, "Judging from the signs, the higher-ups of the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect, at least at the level of vice sect masters and law enforcement elders, have already had secret contact."

"The choice of the meeting place as the former territory of the Xuan Yin Sect may be a cover-up, or it may indicate that the Xuan Yin Sect is also involved."

"While the content of the contact is unknown, considering the subsequent unusual movements of those opportunistic sects, it is speculated that they are plotting how to deal with the alliance's expansion, or even... possibly discussing some form of 'tacit understanding' or 'alliance' to counterbalance our alliance."